Ringing in the New Year
by Zathara001
Summary: Oliver hosts a New Year's Eve party for his friends from two worlds. Sequel to (1) An Unexpected Request and (2) Between Two Worlds, though you don't have to read those to enjoy this one.
1. Chapter 1

"Everything is finished, Mr. Oliver."

Oliver Queen looked up from his review of the last of the measures that had come across his desk before the Christmas holiday. He hated bringing office work home, but this week he'd had no choice. He smiled at Raisa. " _Spasiba_ , Raisa."

The older woman smiled back. "It is a pleasure to help you throw a party."

" _Help_ is too mild." Oliver rose and crossed to her. "You did all of this - which, I might remind you, I didn't ask for."

"You would not ask," Raisa told him, her expression serious. "Since you came back, you do not ask for much, and nothing that would help you. But everyone needs to receive, as well as give. Receive this."

There wasn't anything Oliver could say to that, except, "Thank you again. But you should get home to your family before the traffic gets too bad."

"Happy New Year, Mr. Oliver," Raisa said.

"Happy New Year, Raisa." Oliver took a couple of steps forward to hug her.

Then she was gone, though the door didn't close immediately behind her. Instead, Thea came into the loft, a shopping bag clenched in each hand.

"Thea?"

"Do you know how hard it is to find a party supply store open on New Year's Eve?" She put the bags on a corner of the bar not covered with Raisa's appetizers. "And the ones that are open are nearly empty of all the right things."

Thea rummaged in the bags and came out with party hats, noisemakers, and Chinese firecrackers.

"It's just us," Oliver protested. Though _us_ in this case included Team Flash, as Felicity called them, and a few people from Kara's Earth.

"Just us, right, plus a couple of people who don't know the truth," Thea said. "They'll expect a typical party from the Queens."

Oliver blew out a breath, and smiled a little. "And this is why you're better at managing Verdant than I ever was."

"You never did," Thea corrected him. "You had Tommy for that."

The words still hurt, but not as much as they used to, and Oliver could nod an acknowledgment, his tone even when he said, "You're better than he was, too."

Then, silently, he helped Thea arrange the party favors.

#

An hour later, Oliver opened the door to see almost the entirety of Team Flash - Barry Allen, Iris West, Caitlin Snow, Cisco Ramon, and Joe West. With them was an attractive black woman close to Joe's age.

"Glad you made it," Oliver said, and it wasn't just a platitude. Joe's date didn't know the truth about Barry, so Team Flash had taken the train rather than simply having Cisco open a portal from Central City to Star City.

"We left early," Barry said.

"We had to," Iris clarified, "or Barry would have made us all late."

"It's New Year's," Oliver countered. "I'm not sure you can actually be late on New Year's."

He stood back to let them enter, only a little surprised when first Iris, then Caitlin hugged him. Then he shook hands with Cisco and Barry and found himself face to face with Joe and his guest.

"Joe," Oliver said. "Good to see you again."

"Thanks for having us," Joe replied. "And letting me bring Cecile."

"Cecile," Oliver repeated, committing her name to memory even as he offered his hand. "Pleasure to meet you. I'm Oliver Queen."

"Of course you are," Cecile replied. "And may I just say it's a pleasure to meet the mayor who's actually trying to turn Star City around."

"Cecile's the Central City D.A.," Joe put in. "She and I both appreciate everything you're doing for Star City."

There was an almost imperceptible emphasis when Joe said _everything_ , and Oliver gave an equally imperceptible nod before he offered a self-deprecating grin. "Because every criminal we stop here doesn't make his way to Central City?"

"Because it sets an example for all of us," Cecile said firmly. "If Star City can come back from the brink, we all can."

"Thanks," Oliver said. "I think."

"Cecile's a sucker for lost causes," Joe said with mock confidentiality. "Why else do you think she puts up with me?"

"Because you know people like Oliver Queen," Cecile said reasonably. "Though I have no idea how."

"Barry helped investigate a theft from one of Queen Consolidated's warehouses a couple of years ago," Oliver said, easily because it was the truth.

"Not that much," Barry said over Oliver's shoulder.

"More than any of us expected," Oliver countered.

"Friends ever since?" Cecile said with a smile.

"Something like that," Oliver said. "But come in. This is a party. You should have a drink in your hand."

#

Kara arrived with James and Winn shortly after that. Oliver delayed them at the door, and Kara frowned at him.

"Sorry we're late," she said. "But I opened the portal a bit further away than last time. Secret identities, and all."

"Glad to hear it." Oliver hugged her briefly, then looked up at the other two as he added, "Speaking of which, there'll be a couple of people here who don't know."

"Seems like a problem at a party," James observed.

"I couldn't very well tell people not to bring a date," Oliver said reasonably. "And who knows? Someday they may be in the know, too."

"Kara!" Barry's shout carried over the crowd, and Oliver stood aside rather than be caught between the two of them.

James hung back. "I told her."

Oliver nodded, understanding immediately. "Good."

James stepped past him, and Oliver found himself waiting for Winn, who stared at the people inside as though they were some new life form.

"Winn?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah, sorry." Winn took a couple of steps inside, just far enough that Oliver could close the door. "You sure you meant to invite me? I mean, I know Barry and you, but these others -"

"C'mon," Oliver said. "Let me introduce you to Cisco."

"Cisco - the guy who made Kara's … jewelry?"

"Yep."

"Cool. I had an idea to improve it, but the tech's just different enough that I wasn't going to mess with it."

"You sure both our worlds will survive it?"

"Absolutely."

#

One of the ways that Lian Yu had changed him was that Oliver needed more solitude, more quiet, now than he had before, even when the people around him were people he cared for. So he slipped out of the party onto the balcony despite the cold night air, and focused his gaze on the tiny sliver of moon just visible over the city.

Not everyone he cared for was here tonight - not his parents. Not Laurel. Not even Sara, though at least she was still alive, somewhere in the timestream. He'd long ago given up on prayer, but he sent a thought to her, wherever, whenever, she might be.

 _I hope you're well, Sara, and that your crew has your back._

The door opened behind him, and Oliver turned just enough to see Detective Billy Malone, Felicity's boyfriend.

"Great party," he said. "Thanks for the invite."

Oliver quirked one corner of his mouth. "Probably not what you expected."

"About what I expected."

Oliver frowned at him. "How so?"

Malone shrugged. "People hear _Queen_ , and they think of big, loud parties, like having a rave at your own home."

"But not you?" Oliver prompted.

"I think Felicity doesn't like that kind of party, and she wouldn't have come if it were one of those."

"I don't like that kind of party," Oliver admitted. "Sometimes they're expected."

"Not tonight?" Malone asked.

Oliver shook his head. "Tonight's for friends and family."

Malone looked surprised. "I know I'm only here because of Felicity, but -" He took a swallow of his beer. "I expected it to be way more awkward."

Oliver turned to face him. "I've only ever wanted her to be happy. For a while, I thought - I hoped - she could be happy with me. It didn't work out for us, but if it works out for you, I'm happy for both of you."

Malone gave him an assessing look. "Thanks."

Oliver smiled thinly. "And if you hurt her -"

Malone held up a hand. "I know the rest."

Oliver followed his gaze through the glass doors to where Felicity sat talking with Cisco and Winn. Without Kara's enhanced senses, Oliver couldn't hear what they were saying, but he'd bet their conversation was made up of equal parts movie quotes and nerdspeak.

"Did you ever meet him?"

Malone's question made Oliver frown. "Who?"

"The Green Arrow."

Oliver's surprise must have shown on his face, because Malone continued, "She told me you know she works with him."

 _Understatement._ "Yes, I know."

"So? You ever meet him?"

 _Not exactly._ "Once. He rescued me when Tobias Church kidnapped me."

"What's he like?" Malone asked. "You ever see his face? I have this theory that his face is scarred, that's why he wears the hood."

"No, I never saw his face." Oliver took a swallow of his whisky and resigned himself to a barrage of questions.

#

"So New Year's Eve has an afterparty on this Earth," James observed.

Oliver grinned, though none of the others in the elevator with him - James, Winn, and Iris - could see it. "This is not your usual afterparty."

The elevator doors slid open to reveal what Cisco and Felicity called the Arrowcave, and what Oliver called - if he called it anything - the lair.

The trio stepped forward, gawking at the layout. Well, Oliver amended, James and Winn gawked. Iris assessed the space almost like her father, Detective West, would have. Oliver approved.

Barry and Kara, in costume as Flash and Supergirl were there, along with Cisco and Caitlin. They'd already known the location and how to get past Felicity's security measures, so there'd been no need to take them in the long way and Barry and Kara had brought them.

"Cool," Winn said.

"Kind of like the DEO, only smaller," James observed.

"Wait 'til you see S.T.A.R. Labs," Cisco countered.

"Different bases for different needs," Oliver said.

"I get that," Iris said. "But why bring us?"

Oliver met her gaze evenly. "Because you never know when you might need a safe place. Everyone here already knows my and Barry's secrets. There's no need to hide this from you."

Barry grinned. "Oliver has an odd way of showing he cares." Oliver glared at him, and his grin only grew wider.

"Seems kind of quiet for an afterparty," Winn said.

"Like I said," Oliver let his voice take on a deeper note. "Not your usual afterparty."

"Only you would train on New Year's Eve, Oliver." The voice startled the visitors, and they turned to see Mr. Terrific, Ragman, and Wild Dog emerging from the depths of the lair.

Kara waved. "Hi, guys. Since Oliver's not big on introductions, these are my friends from my Earth - James, also called Guardian, and Winn, who's like his Felicity."

"Wait," Winn said. "Where is Felicity?"

"Here."

Oliver turned to the woman who'd come up behind him. "I thought you and Billy had another party to go to."

"Are you kidding? I wouldn't miss this. And I brought drinks." Felicity gave one each to Iris and Winn, and led them to where Cisco and Caitlin sat.

"Miss what?" James asked.

"This." Oliver tapped a control on the wall, and a dim light came on, centered around a bell hung from a pole.

"Not the damn bell again," Wild Dog groused.

"What's the bell?" Ragman asked at the same time James did.

"Get on the line." Oliver gestured across the room. "All you have to do is get past me, and ring in the New Year."

"You making puns is just wrong, Ollie," Barry said, grinning.

"That's it? We just get past you?" Kara asked. She glanced at Barry. "Race you."

Two streaks - one red and one purplish - blurred across the room, and Oliver had no idea who won the race, only that one of them rang the bell and both of them were laughing when they came to a stop.

"Next year," he said, "it won't be that easy for you. The rest of you - on the line."

Oliver strode forward to take his own place, ignoring Cisco's, "What, no popcorn?"

#

Half an hour later, Oliver tried not to feel disappointed that his team hadn't yet figured out the purpose of this particular training - it shouldn't be that difficult. But then, before the island, before Slade, he'd been too much of an individualist to have figured it out himself. His team just didn't have the same background.

So they, individualists that they were, kept rushing him individually. Ragman, of course, started by using his ability to wrap Oliver up, but Oliver had anticipated that strategy and released a compressed-gas blade to slice through the fabric holding him. A spin kick took Ragman down by sending him hurtling into Wild Dog and James. Mr. Terrific had hung back, and one on one, he was no match for Oliver.

They picked themselves up, but before they could rush again, James grabbed the others by an arm, tugged them in closer. Oliver couldn't hear what he said, but the other three nodded, and he sank into a ready stance.

Ragman sent another stream of fabric toward him, and Oliver dodged, only to find Wild Dog rushing him, and James flanking his other side while Mr. Terrific circled around behind him. Then, while he was fending off those attacks, Ragman raised his hand to flick another stream of fabric -

The bell rang.

Immediately, James and Wild Dog let up on him to high-five each other. Felicity and the others started to applaud.

"Good work," Oliver told them, and meant it.

"Teamwork," Mr. Terrific said as he got to his feet. "That was the point."

Oliver nodded. "We're used to doing things ourselves. But sometimes, working together is better."

"That's my family's motto." Kara tapped the insignia on her chest. "What this means. Stronger together. And we are."

"Yes," Oliver agreed, looking from her to Barry, then to his team. "We are. Happy New Year, everyone."


	2. Chapter 2

The sequel to this story - "Bridging the Worlds" - is now up. I hope you enjoy it!


End file.
